What Could Be
by Stranger Kind of Dream
Summary: Alex and Max go undercover, posing as a couple. Things don't go all that smoothly, and soon enough they're stranded in a motel for the night, both pretty shaken up. They seek comfort in each other, but before they know it the night is over and they find themselves reluctant to go back to their 'normal lives', wondering what could have been. (Lexwell/Malex)
1. Power Couple

**This was supposed to be a one-shot about cute faux domesticity… it kinda got away from me and turned into a full undercover mission fic. I have no regrets.**

* * *

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" Alex Danvers asked as Maxwell Lord took her hand, his other arm sliding round her waist, pulling her body closer to his.

"And you aren't?" He replied innocently. His breath was soft on her neck as they swayed to the gentle music, their bodies moving together easily, almost effortlessly.

"Not particularly," Agent Danvers answered shortly, eliciting a laugh from her partner.

No, Alex was not overly happy with her current situation, having been forced to babysit Max on this undercover mission. The DEO needed access to some top-secret files belonging to one Dr. Simon Tellman – a scientist currently working on a few rather questionable projects. Fortunately for the DEO, Maxwell Lord was well acquainted with Dr. Tellman, having worked under him for a few years as a student. _Un_ fortunately for Alex, this meant he was their only connection to the scientist, and consequently, the files. Tonight, Dr. Tellman was hosting a formal gathering at his out of town facility for 'likeminded scientists', and apparently, Max had made the guest list, leaving Alex to accompany him to make sure he held up his end of the mission.

Even _more_ unfortunate for Alex, in order to get a plus one invitation she had been forced to pose as Max's fiancée, a detail that he, of course, had been enjoying immensely all evening. The long gazes, the barely concealed innuendos and taking every opportunity to call her ' _Honey'_ … it was enough to make Alex seriously consider throwing him back in his 'collectable display case'.

She scowled up at him as he continued to laugh, clearly entertained by her displeasure at the situation.

"Is it the heals?" Max asked, spinning her around, his arms now encircling her from behind. "The dress?" Of course, given that it was a formal event, Alex'd had no choice but to dress up. Kara had eagerly selected a knee-length purple dress, and although she had to admit it was beautiful, Alex couldn't help but point out to her sister that its low neckline and lacy material seemed highly inappropriate for a mission, even if she was undercover. This, together with the strappy silver heals, made her positive that taking action against any potential threats was a non-starter.

"Or…" Max continued, his lips at her ear, "is it the lack of guns and fighting that has you so unimpressed?"

Although she wasn't the biggest fan of undercover work, or her outfit for that matter, Alex decided it was much less of an annoyance than Max's behaviour had been that evening. "Maybe it's the company," she suggested scathingly, turning her head towards him, her neatly curled hair brushing against his cheek as she breathed in the scent of his - no doubt ridiculously expensive - cologne.

"Oof Agent Danvers," Max murmured, his voice like velvet as he stroked his thumb back and forth where his hand still rested on her waist. "You _do_ know how to hurt a man," he chuckled.

"In more ways than you can even _imagine_ ," she replied slyly, giving him a crafty elbow in the ribs to fully convey her meaning. However, Max recovered smoothly, using the momentum to spin his partner back around to face him.

"I don't doubt it," he replied easily, causing Alex to smile despite her best efforts.

She looked up at him; his grey-blue eyes were sparkling with humour as he leant still closer. She could taste his breath on her lips, and, despite her earlier irritation, Agent Danvers could admit that there was much worse company to spend an evening with. The thrill of the situation seemed to be rubbing off on the both of them, and against her better judgement, she found herself pulling him closer. The mission provided the perfect cover, the perfect reason to close that distance…

However, a flash of movement over Max's shoulder caught Alex's eye, and just like that, the moment was gone.

"He's on the move," she whispered, nodding in the direction of the security guard as he finally left his position at the bottom of the staircase. "Come on," she added somewhat abruptly, making a beeline for the stairs and leaving Max to catch up. She felt his fingers interlink with hers and a gentle tug on her arm, causing her to look back at him questioningly.

"Don't want to blow our cover now, sweetheart," he murmured before winking at her. She resisted the temptation to elbow him again and worked to slow her pace, conceding that he had a point, and even allowing him to slide an arm around her shoulders.

They made their way up the main staircase, and thankfully, nobody in the party below seemed to notice their absence as they slipped down the central hallway. "You _sure_ you know which room it is?" she queried, making sure they were alone before stepping out of his embrace and taking in the labyrinth of doors lining the corridor.

"Believe me, I know my way around this place," he reassured her, striding along with confidence as she followed close behind. "Anyway, Simon has never had the tightest security - Lord Tech looks like the Pentagon by comparison… and we both know _my_ facility's security isn't watertight," he said, side-eyeing her. "I'd still like to know exactly how your big green friend managed to break in, by the way."

"Ah," Alex said, fighting the grin spreading across her face. "I'm afraid that's classified," she replied sweetly.

"Even for your fiancé?" He teased, earning him a sharp backhand on his upper arm.

" _Especially_ for my fiancé," She countered, although she found herself running her fingers over the fake engagement ring on her left hand.

"I should have guessed as much," Max chuckled, coming to a stop at the final door, having reached the end of the corridor. "This is it." The door was fairly nondescript - tall and wide but still same featureless white as every other one in the hallway.

"You'd better be right," Alex warned, bending down to take a look at the lock. "Standard key-card access scanner," she told him, holding out her hand for the EMP.

"I told you," he said as he handed over the device, "piece of cake." As he spoke, Alex attached the EMP and there was a small bang from the scanner followed by a few sparks, before the door popped open. "After you," he said, holding the door open. She slipped into the dark room with him close behind, flicking on the lights to find a fairly empty space. Before them was a sparsely decorated office - a few bookshelves and filing cabinets lining the walls, and a solitary computer sitting on a desk in the corner.

"Well this is… underwhelming," Alex stated, turning back to see Max's hand outstretched towards her.

"Care to finish that dance now, darling?" He teased, eyes twinkling once again. Alex returned his gaze, her dark eyes narrowed, but still betraying the humour behind her otherwise unimpressed expression.

"Just get on with it," she replied shortly, swatting his hand away and pushing him towards the computer.

Agent Danvers leaned against the door, arms folded, and watched the billionaire work. He produced a memory stick from his pocket, plugging it into the computer, his fingers moving nimbly across the keyboard as he searched for the relevant files. As she watched him, the light glinting off his dark hair, she considered the situation. She didn't actually mind his flirting, but now was neither the time nor place - as tempting as Max made messing around seem, someone had to make sure they actually did their job.

"All done," he announced barely a minute later, slipping the memory stick back into his jacket pocket.

"That's it?" Alex couldn't help asking as his words brought her back to the present. Usually her missions were a lot more difficult than this… although they weren't out of the line of fire quite yet.

"Would _I_ lie to _you_ , Agent Danvers?" He asked dramatically, making his way back over and coming to a stop just before her.

She raised her eyebrows at him in response, placing her hands on her hips. "Do you _really_ want me to answer that?" She fired back, earning a small laugh in return.

"I suppose not," Max conceded. He couldn't stop his eyes from roving over her dress, fighting the urge to brush a strand of hair from her face… caress her cheek with the back of his hand… before gently lifting her chin, bringing her lips to his…

"Right," Alex said eventually, averting her eyes and clearing her throat in an effort to break the charged silence that had settled between them. "Let's get outta here."

She turned towards the door, pausing as she felt the gentle pressure of his hand on her arm.

"Why the rush?" He murmured, his voice husky. Alex considered turning, but she was certain that the proximity would be too much of a distraction. Just being alone together in the small quiet room was enough to make her mind wander… She'd been in a similar position when she was back at university - her girlfriend had had a particular fondness for fooling around in the library… Just the memory was enough to bring a blush to Alex's cheeks, but she was resolved to make better decisions this time around and not give in to the temptation. After all, as caught up as she might get, they were still on a mission.

"Don't worry," Alex reassured him eventually, her voice firm as she decided not to look back. "There'll be plenty of time to bask in your genius later," she said sarcastically, pulling the door open, "but for now, I'd rather get out of the danger zone."

"If I didn't know any better," Max teased, following her back out into the hallway, "I'd think you were trying to get rid of me, Alex."

"I'm saying nothing," she shot back, grinning at him over her shoulder.

* * *

"Thank you for a lovely evening," Alex gushed, beaming at her host. Her and Max had returned to the event downstairs, pleased to find that their short absence had apparently gone unnoticed and, after a short period of making more small talk, they had managed to make their excuses to leave. Dr. Simons Tellman - their host - had been more than happy to escort the couple out himself, and after being trapped alone with him numerous times throughout the evening, both Alex and Max were beginning to realise why.

"Don't mention it," Dr. Tellman replied as he walked them to the grand front door. "It was simply _wonderful_ to meet you, Miss Danvers," the old scientist continued, making no effort to conceal the way his pale blue eyes roved over her body hungrily.

"Please, call me Alex," she requested pleasantly, a patient smile fixed in place on her features as Tellman edged ever closer.

"My apologies, _Alex_ ," he drawled, embracing her before planting a kiss on her cheek, his hands lingering on her waist. "Hopefully it wont be too long until our next encounter." His smile was positively predatory.

Agent Danvers glanced at her ' _fiancé'_ in an effort to catch his eye, knowing that Max would pick up on the fire there. Thankfully, he was already stepping between them, pointedly extending his hand to shake Tellman's. "By which point," he chimed in, ever the charmer, "I will have the pleasure of introducing you to _Mrs_. _Lord_ , I hope," he said, blatantly stressing her new title as he wrapped his arm around her, somewhat possessively, to better make his point.

Alex forced a laugh as she leaned into Max's embrace. "Of course," she agreed, smiling up at him, a silent thank you.

"Well, goodnight," Tellman continued as the couple made their way out into the drizzly night air. "And, be careful out there," he added, "the roads can get… dangerous at this time of night."

Alex and Max made their way down the steps quickly, neither one of them looking back as they approached Max's waiting Mercedes.

"Well I'm glad that's over," Alex breathed as soon as they were out of earshot. Max opened the passenger door, helping her in before climbing into the driver's seat.

"You heard Simon," he said craftily, turning to face her, "I'm sure he's already counting down the days to your next visit," he grinned.

"Ugh," Alex shivered, "let's not dwell on that," she said bitterly, eliciting a chuckle from Max. Being stuck in a role of forced politeness had been exhausting. She was grateful when he finally put the car into drive, accelerating out of the facility, the town, and back towards National City. The more miles they put between them and Dr. Tellman, the better.

"Seriously though," Max continued, his voice quiet in the darkness, "despite Tellman, I did have a nice evening being engaged to you," he admitted. Alex laughed lightly at the absurdity of his statement, although she couldn't dispute that she had actually had fun with Max tonight.

"Well," she said finally, breaking the companionable silence that had settled between them, "enjoy the feeling while it lasts - as soon as we get back to the DEO it'll be business as usual, I'm afraid."

"More's the pity," he sighed, glancing sidelong at his favourite agent. Feeling eyes on her, Alex continued to stare out of the passenger window, watching raindrops race along the glass as the car sped along. However, when he finally turned his attention back to the road, Alex placed her hand over Max's where rested between them, her fingers squeezing his lightly. They sat together in this way for a while, pounding rain the only sound to be heard in the stillness as the miles flew by.

They were almost clear of the town when a sudden flash of light in the rear-view mirror caught Alex's attention. She turned around immediately, glancing over her shoulder to see a large black SUV close on their tail.

"How long has that car been following us?" she asked, her voice tense. Max glanced in the mirror before exchanging an uneasy glance with her.

"Do you think its Tellman?" He asked, speeding up slightly. Alex only raised her eyebrows, unbuckling her seatbelt so she could get a proper look at the car behind. The model suggested some form of agency car - not a good sign. It easily closed the gap between them, accelerating to knock into the back of their car - _definitely_ not a good sign.

"Did they just-"

"They're tailgating us," Max confirmed, his voice almost as grim as the expression on his face. "If they damage my paintwork I swear…."

"I told you we shouldn't have taken your car," Alex shot back, matter-of-fact.

Max glanced over to see she was now holding a gun, although he had no idea where she had produced it from. "Where did-" he began, before cutting himself off sharply. " _Shit_!" He spat through gritted teeth as the SUV rammed them once again. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the wheel, fighting desperately to keep some measure of control over the car as it skidded along the wet road. "Perhaps a little help, Agent Danvers?" He asked impatiently.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing?" she replied, loading the gun and wincing slightly as the unmistakable sound of bullets hitting metal reached them.

"Now they're _shooting_ at my car!"

"Priorities Max," she said flatly before winding down the window and leaning out to return fire. Between the blinding headlights and torrential rain, Alex could barely see who she was firing at, never mind hope to evade any shots fired her way.

"Who _the hell_ are they?!" Max yelled, finally managing to push Alex's patience too far.

"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed back through the window, focussing only on keeping herself from falling out as Max veered again, attempting to evade more hits. "Fuck it," Alex muttered as her gun clicked, indicating she was out of bullets. She doubted she would be able to make a dent in the SUV anyway.

She climbed back in the window, hastily attempting to push strands of rain-soaked hair out of her face. "This isn't gonna work, we need to lose them," she said decidedly, taking in Max's wide eyes and his hands locked on the steering wheel. His expression was enough to harden her resolve, and she shoved her seat back violently before reaching over to the wheel.

"What are you doing?!" He demanded, glancing at her, panicked.

"Switch with me!" She ordered.

"WHAT?!"

"Have _you_ been trained in getaway driving?!" She unbuckled his seatbelt without waiting for an answer. "Unless this car has stealth technology you haven't told me about, I'm gonna need the wheel." Max didn't bother to question her again, reasoning - as much as he could in such a situation - that an agent of the DEO knew best.

"Switching seats at 80mph," he muttered sarcastically, now resigned to his fate, "what could possibly go wrong?" Max shifted back in his seat, allowing Alex to get a grip on the wheel. "Seems like a faster way to do these guys' job for them, if you ask me."

"MAX! MOVE!"

He leaned back obligingly - admittedly slightly sacred - allowing Alex to climb over him. She took the wheel and he waited for her to get full control before he moved, rather inelegantly, over to the passenger seat. Thankfully, they managed the manoeuvre without incident, and Alex immediately slammed on the gas pedal, swerving the car around and heading back towards the town, hoping she could lose their pursuers in the outskirts. They raced on in relative silence, Agent Danvers driving like a maniac, weaving around backstreets in an effort to escape.

"Do you think you can lose them?" Max finally asked.

"Maybe, but we're still highly visible," Alex replied tensely, eyes locked ahead. "We need to go dark - you're the tech genius, can't you shut the lights off or something?"

"I'll see what I can do."

After a few minutes of Max fiddling with wires, the whole car was suddenly enveloped in darkness - no dashboard lights, no brake lights, they couldn't even see each other in the gloom. The rain picked up, aiding in their cover and Alex headed back towards the edge of town and out onto the unlit highway. Max had no idea how she could possibly see where they were going, but he had to admit she was doing a much better job than he ever could have.

"Can you see them?" Alex asked after about five minutes of tense silence.

"No…" Max answered cautiously as he looked back, the only source of light coming from a small village they had just sped past. "I think you lost them."

Alex allowed herself a sigh of relief, finally loosening her grip on the steering wheel as the car slowed to a more comfortable pace. However, just as they were beginning to relax, the car suddenly jerked sideways, throwing the pair of them violently to the side as it swerved across the road.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! As always, let me know what you think and I'll try to update soon.**


	2. In The Moment

"SHIT!" Alex spat, slamming on the car's breaks in an attempt to get them under control on the slippery road. From the way the car had swerved, she guessed one of the tires had blown out - most likely from an earlier bullet tear. She attempted to prevent them from skidding off the road completely, causing the car to screech to a rather violent stop.

For a long moment, Alex and Max's heavy breathing was the only sound to be heard in the stillness, besides the now torrential rain.

"You alright?" Came Max's voice in the darkness, much less confident than usual.

"Yeah," Alex replied breathlessly, "Yeah, I'm okay, you?"

"I _think_ I'll live," he said, provoking a nervous laugh from the agent beside him. "So much for our ride home though," he added, attempting to lighten the mood, "I thought you said you were trained in getaway driving?"

"Shut up." They were both laughing now, the relief at being alive momentarily halting the fear of what they had just been through.

"So… what now?" Max eventually asked, still sounding vaguely shaken - unsure.

"We need to get out of sight," Alex told him without hesitation, her training kicking in. "Those people - whoever they were - could still be looking for us. I'd rather not wait for them to catch us up."

Max nodded his agreement in the darkness, although he knew Alex wouldn't be able to see it - it was more to convince himself than for her benefit anyway. "And if Tellman suspects we were looking at his work… he won't back off easily."

"Exactly," Alex agreed, trying to form a plan of action. She was stranded, with no back-up in the immediate vicinity, and possibly still being pursued… not to mention the fact that she was stuck with Max, who most likely had no combat training at all. As far as Alex was concerned, he counted as a vulnerable civilian - her responsibility. They had to get out of sight. "There was a village back there… We'll have to make a run for it," she finally concluded, sighing internally. They both looked out at the rain. It was the middle of the night in late October and needless to say, neither of them much relished the prospect of having to leave the relative comfort of the car. _What I wouldn't give for a decent pair of shoes,_ Alex thought bitterly as she pulled off her strappy heels, knowing there was no way she could run any distance in them. "Come on," she said eventually, steeling herself and bailing out into the freezing air before she could change her mind.

The cold hit Alex like a brick wall, knocking the breath out of her. She paused, momentarily stunned by the force of the rain, the wind, and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as she struggled to catch her breath. She felt warm hands on her back then, pushing her forwards, encouraging her to run. She complied, and a strong hand took hold of hers - Max's hand. She clung to it.

After what felt like an age, the pair made it to the edge of the small town and headed towards the nearest building - a crappy-looking motel - although neither of them were about to complain.

"Wait," Alex panted, pulling Max to a stop on the porch so they could both catch their breath. He watched as she attempted to put her shoes back on, his eyes lingering on her hands, which shook from the cold. They were both undeniably soaked now, and Max noted that the thin chiffon of Alex's dress seemed to offer her little in the way of warmth.

"Here," he said gently, offering her his jacket when she stood back up. Alex glanced up at him, her dark eyes wide and betraying the fear that lingered there, before he moved closer and her features softened.

"Thanks," she whispered, allowing Max to wrap the coat around her shoulders. She leant into his touch where his fingers lingered at her neck and turned in his arms to face him. Their bodies were pressed together, chests still heaving, and the clouds of their breath were easily visible now. Alex dragged her eyes upwards, meeting his gaze. Max was looking down at her, his blue-grey eyes sparkling as he moved to brush a stray strand of hair from her face, raindrops still trickling down his own. She acted on impulse then, not stopping to think before she leant into him, closing the gap between their lips. She wanted to taste the rain, feel her hands in his hair, to pull him closer. Max did little to resist, his arms curling around the agent's waist to better get a hold of her, crushing her to his chest as his lips moved passionately against hers.

Technically, it was wrong - Alex knew that - but so much of her life was governed by protocol these days. She was sick of it. Her relationship with Maxwell Lord had never gone exactly according to plan - they fought, they argued, hell, she'd even _arrested_ him. He wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but she felt an undeniable connection to him, and nobody could dictate that. She wanted him, and, as she pulled him closer, kissing him hungrily, she realised there was not one reason for her to stop. Unbeknownst to the agent, Max felt much the same. He was so used to people doing exactly what he asked, when he asked - his employees, his peers, even the women he dated. And then here was this fiery beauty, who wasn't afraid to call him on his crap despite their supposedly 'professional' relationship, who kept him on his toes and, most surprisingly, made him aspire to be a better man.

Soon enough, the pair had to break apart, both breathing heavily as they attempted to regain their composure. Alex gingerly removed her arms from around Max's neck, gently placing her hands on his chest to distance herself slightly as she caught her breath. Max's hands were draped around her waist, resting there as he gazed down at the woman before him, his eyes alight. "Erm…" Alex began breathlessly, biting her lip, not sure how to explain herself. She settled for not explaining herself. "We should probably go inside."

Max continued to stare at her, somewhat confused, although not at all adverse to what had just happened. He observed that Alex was shivering once again, but allowed her to break out of his embrace before moving to open the motel door. "Of course, after you," he murmured easily, holding the door open and following her inside.

The blond receptionist behind the desk looked slightly alarmed as the pair entered, his eyes widening as he took in their bedraggled state. Alex almost laughed, imagining what a sight they must look to him - a young couple, drenched and bedraggled but dressed up to the nines. There was a slight pause as he regained his composure before he spoke. "Good evening," he began, a polite and professional smile now in place, "how can I help you?"

"We need a room for the night, please," Max replied, approaching the desk as Alex perched on the arm of a couch. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fight went out of her, and she realised just how cold and tired she actually was.

"Let me see what I can do," the receptionist said amicably, checking the books. "Would you like a double room? That's all we have free at the moment."

Max glanced over at Alex where she was now slumped on the couch, unsure of how to proceed. Yes they were posing as a couple, but of course he would understand if she wasn't particularly inclined to share a room with him just to keep up appearances. The agent gave Max a tired nod in response, too exhausted to really care about the sleeping arrangements, and, given that they were probably stranded until morning, it didn't seem they had another option anyway.

"A double should be just fine."

* * *

"Everything okay?" Max asked, emerging from the small bathroom wearing grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt. Not his usual attire by any means, but there was only so much one could find in such a small town, especially so late at night. Alex was dressed similarly, having showered earlier while Max had been on the hunt for some warm dry clothes. The agent was now sat on the edge of the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, an anxious expression on her face as she stared into space.

"Yeah," she finally said, clearing her throat, her eyes coming back into focus at the sound of Max's voice. Her mind was buzzing with the information she had gained from her phone call to the DEO - or rather, lack thereof. "We can't get an extraction tonight," she continued, sighing, "so we'll just have to fix up the car tomorrow and drive back." Alex glanced over at the man sharing her room and was almost taken aback to see him looking so… casual. "Well…" she continued slyly, her mood momentarily improved, "that is, as long as you're okay with slumming it in this motel."

Max chuckled at her words. "You know Alex, I wasn't _always_ a billionaire," he replied, coming to sit next to her on the bed.

"You could've fooled me," she shot back, gazing sidelong at the man beside her. "This is the first time I'm seeing you out of a suit," Alex continued, and she could swear she heard a hint of a sigh as she caught him glancing at his reflection in the mirror, his brow creased.

"Well… needs must," he said a little too grimly, causing her to smirk. "So," he continued, keen to move on from discussing his attire, "why no extraction? I would've thought that Hank Henshaw would do _anything_ for the mighty Agent Danvers." He grinned at her and Alex laughed lightly at his flattery.

"Yeah well," she began, sobering quickly, " _their_ mission might just top _our_ situation at the moment." Max watched as Alex's eyes became downcast once again and she hugged her legs a little tighter.

"Is it dangerous?" He asked, voice low.

"I don't know," she admitted, frustrated. "I didn't get to talk to Hank, I only know what Vasquez told me." She paused for a minute, frowning more deeply before continuing. "They don't have any resources to spare… even Supergirl is unavailable," she muttered.

Alex's concern for her sister was obvious to Max - in fact, she seemed to be making little effort to conceal it from him as she checked her phone, biting her lip when no new messages were displayed. Max regarded her in silence for a few seconds and when he spoke again his voice was gentle. "If I know one thing, it's that your sister can take care of herself."

"Most of the time," Alex allowed, although his words did little to make her feel any better. "You haven't left any more red kryptonite lying around have you?" She asked, voice suddenly sharp.

Max glanced at the woman beside him, although her eyes stared only forwards and so missed the hurt expression on his face. "I wouldn't do that," he uttered huskily, but Alex only raised her eyebrows in response, ready to lash out once again.

"You've done it before," she reminded him.

"That was never intended to affect Supergirl, and I regret what happened to her," Max told her sincerely. "You know that," he added, voice quiet now.

Alex glanced up at the anguish in his voice, realising suddenly that her words were actually having an effect on him, and that she had allowed her worry for Kara to masquerade as anger at Max. Her dark eyes flitted to his face and noted the sadness there. His brows were knitted together over his grey-blue eyes, showcasing his confusion at her sudden attack, and that alone caused Alex to drop her eyes just as quickly.

"You're right," she admitted in a small voice, resting her chin on her knees dejectedly before running a hand through her hair and sighing. "I'm sorry." She lifted her head to look back at him, and he smiled sadly before placing a comforting hand over her arms where they rested on her knees, his thumb stroking back and forth against her skin. "And," Alex finally continued as he dropped his eyes, "I know you helped us… with the whole myriad thing… Kara told me, how you'd had your own plan initially." Max glanced up at this, knowing only too well that Alex would not be impressed by what he had deemed necessary to save the city. However, something in her expression stopped him from interrupting. "She told me," Alex continued, dropping her legs in order to sit up properly, "that you put your plan aside, and decided to help with _her_ plan instead," she paused. "You chose to have hope."

Max met her eyes then. "Yeah," he admitted finally, his voice soft, "I guess I did."

Alex watched the small smile playing on his lips, and placed her hand over his where it now rested on the bed between them. "Thank you," she said sincerely, "for not giving up."

Maxwell Lord gazed at the agent beside him, taking in the curve of her slightly parted lips and the fire that burned behind the exhaustion in her eyes. "I'm beginning to see the value of hope," he murmured eventually.

Alex was struck with the overwhelming urge to kiss him again, but another part of her insisted that now was not the right time. Yes, they had chemistry together, and she had enjoyed the earlier kiss, but right now, more than anything else, she was tired and cold and scared - now was not the best time to make any serious decisions. She could also appreciate that Max's words had a greater meaning. Credit to him, despite their assumed roles this evening, he hadn't once stepped out of line or forced her into any intimacy just to keep up appearances. He respected her, and, to an extent, she respected him too. They connected on a deeper level now, one where meaningless sex just wouldn't be enough - it wouldn't be right. She instead leaned her head against the billionaire's shoulder, her hand still resting over his. He in turn wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer into him - Alex was still shaking slightly from the cold and Max rubbed his hand gently up and down her arm in an attempt to warm her somewhat.

"Eventful night huh?" He murmured eventually, breaking the comfortable silence.

"I've had worse," she allowed, smiling, causing him to chuckle.

"I bet." There was a pause before he spoke again. "Still, I was enjoying the evening up until that point," he added, voice soft.

"I know you were," Alex replied sardonically and Max could only laugh once more.

"Come on, I wasn't _that_ bad," he said, turning to look at the woman beside him. "You even cracked a few smiles."

"Ah well, I'm a good agent," Alex countered, "I know how to play my part."

"No arguments there," he agreed. "Although I have to say, I'm surprised you managed to refrain from throwing a few punches at Tellman."

"It wasn't without its difficulties," Alex chuckled. "No… he wasn't worth it…" she muttered, almost as if trying to convince herself. "Although... it was an intriguing possibility." Truthfully, the idea of her taking out Tellman had kept her entertained for most of the evening.

"I'll admit, even I considered it," Max told her with a small laugh. Alex grinned at this, although she noted the sincerity behind his tone. She remembered how he had moved in front of her when the older man had got too close, acting to shield her when etiquette had prevented the agent from protecting herself. "For what it's worth though," Max continued, voice soft, "I did appreciate your company this evening."

Alex turned, lifting her head to glance up at him. She wasn't sure how to respond to his words, especially now as she gazed into his green-blue eyes, only centimetres from hers. They betrayed an honesty, a vulnerability that she had only seen from Max a handful of times before - it made her want to be honest with him too. He deserved as much, she reasoned. "Oh okay," she allowed with a theatrical sigh, narrowing her dark eyes as she scanned the face of the man beside her. "It wasn't the _worst_ night of my life," she conceded, causing him to chuckle as he looked downwards.

"Well," Max began before he looking back up, eyes narrow and full of humour as he gazed intently at her, "I'm glad to hear you admit that Agent Danvers… seems like you're finally starting to warm up to me." Alex smiled back mischievously.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Max," she told him as she laid her head back against his shoulder.

"I guess I'm just hopeful."

Alex sighed contentedly at Max' whispered words, squeezing his hand gently in response. He in turn pulled her slightly closer to him, stroking his thumb against her arm, pleased to feel that she had warmed up in his embrace. They sat together in companionable silence for a while, no words needed, and Alex closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of comfort. Her profession - both as an agent, and as Supergirl's sister - had left her well aware of the fact that she would most likely never be able to have a _normal_ life, a domestic life. But here she was, enjoying this stillness, the feeling of another human being beside her, spending the night with a man who…. _understood_ her, to say the least. It was something that so many people did every day, and it was so indisputably, overwhelmingly _normal_ that Alex never wanted it to end. However, she still had a job to do, and, as much as she wished the moment could last longer, she knew they still weren't out of trouble yet. "It's getting late," she finally said, her voice small as she slowly lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Yeah," Max agreed, sighing. The pair broke apart reluctantly, turning to look at the rest of the small bed behind them. "How do you want to do this?"

Alex sighed tiredly. "Let's just take a side each, okay?"

"You sure you don't want to huddle together for warmth?" Max joked, although he was already walking round to the other side of the bed. Alex glanced up, shooting him an unimpressed look as he winked at her. "Well _I_ don't know what they teach you in survival training," he teased, pulling back the covers.

"I wouldn't exactly call _this_ a survival situation," Alex countered sardonically with a wry smile as she climbed into the bed. Max turned off the light before lying down next to her, his arm touching hers due to the lack of space. Although Alex had scoffed at his suggestion, she was still cold enough that the warmth of Max's body was just too much for her to resist, and she found herself inching closer to him.

"Sorry about your car," she murmured after a few moments, causing the tech genius to laugh softly.

"I'll inspect the damage tomorrow," he said gently, his voice barely above a whisper in the darkness, "but I think we should be able to get home after I change the tyre," he told her, pausing. "I might have to invoice the DEO for damages though."

"Good luck with that," Alex said, laughing lightly as she pictured J'onn's reaction to such a situation. She could feel Max chuckling too, and leaned in closer, her need for comfort winning out over any hesitation. He responded immediately, allowing her to move closer still and rest her head on his chest as his arms encircled her.

"Were you scared earlier?" He asked after a while, his fingers trailing back and forth along her arm. "In the car, I mean."

Alex considered giving Max a sarcastic response, but the seriousness in his voice pulled her up short. "Yes," she answered truthfully, "I think, anybody would be," she whispered into the darkness. "Weren't you?"

"Of course," he murmured. "I just… I don't know how you do it. Such a level of danger, day in, day out."

"Well," she began, considering, "I guess it's like anything… being an agent has its ups and downs." Truthfully, Alex had never really thought about the risks too much, this was just what she did - being an agent was what she was meant to do. "It's not like your job doesn't have its risks."

"I suppose so," he conceded, pausing. "Do you ever wish it was different?"

Alex let her mind wonder back to her earlier thoughts about having - even just for a while - a more normal life. "Sometimes," she whispered. Too late, she realised she'd just admitted something that she'd never told another soul before… that she hadn't even admitted to herself before.

"Me too," Max whispered, tightening his arms around her fractionally, holding her close. "Sweet dreams Alex," he murmured, before pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.

"Night Max."

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 **Thanks for reading! I'm hoping to add one more chapter, just a little epilogue thing to nicely tie off the story, so it shouldn't be too long until the next update :)**


	3. More Than Words

**So this is the last part - it's only short but I thought it would be nice to have an epilogue of sorts to tie things off. Also it gives me an opportunity to explore a few things I might've left out earlier. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far and I hope you like this ending!**

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The cold morning air stung Alex's skin as she leaned against the side of the Mercedes, a cup of coffee warming her freezing hands. It was 6.30, the beginning of a perfect autumn morning, with the sun just starting to break through the misty air and throwing shadows across the empty road. She gazed at the trees lining the roadside, their golden leaves still falling, littering the ground around them, before her eyes fell on Max. He was bent over the car's wheel arch, looking suave - if slightly dishevelled - in his suit, which he had managed, miraculously, to get dry overnight. Alex had opted for her boots, leggings and grey sweater, having been overjoyed when Max had retrieved her mission bag from his car earlier that morning.

They had woken coiled together, their legs entwined as Alex had laid in Max's arms, her arm draped across his chest. It had felt familiar, reassuring. They'd left the hotel holding hands, still stuck in their roles from the night before, although Alex got the feeling that it was also due to the fact that neither of them had wanted to let go of the other. She considered how that must have looked - both dressed in everyday clothes, walking hand in hand, having spent the night together. It was such a seemingly normal situation it was abnormal. Anyone watching would most likely see them as a couple. She found she didn't mind the idea, and liked that she didn't _need_ to be anyone else. This morning she wasn't Agent Danvers… she wasn't even Supergirl's sister. She was just Alex.

"You done yet?" She called, watching Max fix the final few bolts onto the wheel as she suppressed a shiver.

He glanced over at her. "Nearly," he replied, his breath clearly visible in the icy air. He had rolled his sleeves up, the effort of changing the tyre keeping him sufficiently warm despite the low temperature. Alex had considered attempting to help him, if for no reason other than to warm up, but mechanics wasn't exactly her forte, and of course, he could handle it - she knew Max would most likely be able to complete the job faster without her interfering. Besides, she already had the _very_ important role of coffee-holder/drinker.

"Okay," Max said, standing with a groan, "all done." He cleared the rest of the tools away before coming to lean against the car next to her.

"Here." Alex passed the coffee to him and he took it gratefully, flashing her a small smile.

"Thanks," he murmured, downing the drink before placing the empty cup down on the bonnet of the car. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked after a while, voice low as they both looked out over the morning.

Alex hummed her agreement. "Yeah," she breathed. She felt the sag of Max's shoulders against her arm as he let out a gentle sigh.

"I guess we should get going," he finally mumbled, unenthusiastically.

"Wait," she said suddenly, reaching out to grab Max's hand as he began to move away. At her touch he turned back towards her, his face questioning, and he moved closer, his arms coming up to hold hers gently. He scanned her face, taking in the slight frown on her features, the way her eyes roved over his face almost desperately… his gaze lingered on her parted lips, waiting for words that she couldn't seem to deliver, feeling her breath on his lips.

"Max I…" Alex's whispered words trailed off. She didn't know what to say… how to explain, but soon enough, she realised her words weren't needed. Max's expression finally cleared as he realised why Alex had called him back - she didn't want to leave yet, didn't want this to end, and… neither did he.

This time it was Max's turn to close the distance between them. He was gentle, pressing his lips against hers softly, his expression almost one of anguish as he fought desperately to hold on to their moment a little longer. He lifted a hand to caress her face, his fingers brushing against her soft skin almost apprehensively. Alex found herself wrapping her arms around his waist, immediately deepening the kiss, only easing off when Max puled back slightly, chuckling. He glanced at her through narrowed eyes, a small smile now lighting up his features as he leaned back in, more determined this time. His arms slid around her waist easily, pulling her against him as his hands found their way to the small of her back. Alex's hands snaked up to his collar as she fell into the kiss, momentarily forgetting everything else. They kissed hungrily now, as if they needed each other, and, in a sense, they did. Alex found herself pressed up against the car as Max deepened the kiss, but she fought back, her hands coming up to his face, then knotting in his hair, pulling him still closer as their lips moved together relentlessly.

Max broke away first, dipping his head as he chuckled breathlessly before glancing back up. Alex's arms remained around his neck, her wrists crossed as she resolved to maintain the closeness between them, and Max did little to resist, his hands coming to rest on her hips.

"Alex," he murmured, momentarily breaking his eyes away from the woman before him to glance at the road that would lead them back to National City. However, Alex's arms tightened around his neck, preventing him from pulling away as she decided, in that moment, she'd just about had enough of doing what she was _supposed_ to do.

"Why the rush?" She whispered, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as she echoed his words from the night before. Max chuckled at the memory, his eyes flitting back to hers. He leant in again, quickly, pressing his lips against hers once more as his hands slid up to disentangle her arms from him.

"Believe me," he whispered breathlessly, his voice low and husky, "I don't want to leave…" He took her hands in his own, holding them against his chest as Alex gazed up at him. "But," he continued, "I'd rather not end up in the DEO's bad books - or Supergirl's - for bringing you back too late."

"Okay," the agent conceded with a sigh, pushing herself off the car. Just the mention of her sister had reminded Alex of her role once more, and her priorities began to rearrange into a more… sensible order. That didn't stop her from leaning into Max one last time, stealing another kiss before he could pull away. He grinned at her as he forced himself to step back, but his hands still lingered on hers before her fingers slid through his grasp, and he made his way round to the other side of the car.

Max took the drivers seat once again without any argument from Alex - she wasn't much in the mood to drive anyway. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company before he finally started the engine with a small sigh.

As the car pulled away, accelerating back towards National City, Alex couldn't help but reflect on the last 24 hours - her window into a ' _normal'_ life… she wasn't ready to go back to _her_ version of normal just yet. Max, thinking along much the same lines, reached over to rest his hand on top of Alex's, mirroring her action from the night before. He linked their fingers, causing her to look over at him. Their eyes locked and she gave him a small smile, which he returned forlornly - he too was sorry to return to National City. But, for now at least, they could hold onto each other - to this moment - with the hope that, maybe someday, they could return to it.

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 **Bit of wish fulfilment on my part perhaps but I couldn't just leave this hanging without doing something a little more dramatic with these two. Hope you liked it!**


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